President Popped In The Face During B-Ball Game; 12 Stitches in Lip

President Barack Obama needed 12 stitches in his lip after taking an errant elbow during a pickup basketball game Friday with a group of family and friends visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday, the White House said.

First word of the injury came in a statement from press secretary Robert Gibbs nearly three hours after the incident saying that Obama was inadvertently struck by someone’s elbow. The individual was not identified.

Obama received the stitches under local anesthesia in the doctor’s office on the ground floor White House after he returned home. Doctors used a smaller filament than typically used, which increases the number of stitches but makes a tighter stitch and leaves a smaller scar.

The president had gone to nearby Fort McNair to indulge in one of his favorite athletic pursuits, a game of basketball. It was a five-on-five contest involving family and friends. Among the players were Obama’s nephew Avery Robinson, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Reggie Love, Obama’s personal assistant who played at Duke University.

The White House said none of those named caused the injury, which happened during their fifth and final game when the unidentified player turned to take a shot and hit Obama, who was playing defense, in the mouth with his elbow.

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